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Directions

Special equipment: a 3-inch round cutter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sprinkle some flour on the countertop and unroll the puff pastry. With a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry slightly, so it is large enough to cut out 6 circles with a 3-inch ring cutter. Cut out 6 circles and place them on a baking sheet. Bake the circles until they're puffy and golden.

For the pork: Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix together the mustard and pepper. Coat the pork in the mixture. Season with salt.

Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork until browned on all sides, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pork from the skillet and keep warm.

For the sauce: Place the same skillet used for the pork over medium heat, add the chicken stock and apple juice and cook, scraping up any browned bit from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the fig jam and let simmer 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and cook 1 more minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.

For the mushrooms: In a second skillet (or the cleaned out skillet from the pork), heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the onion, shallot and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Slice the pork into 1-inch-thick medallions. Place a puff pastry circle on each plate, then top with a circle of mushrooms and a slice of pork. Spoon some sauce over the top and garnish with a small sprig of parsley.

This recipe was created by a contestant during a cooking competition. It has not been tested for home use.